LGBTQ news and entertainment
My good friend, T. Oliver Reid, currently in the Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard, reports today that the divine Miss Glenn Close stopped the show when an audience member kept taking photos.
“And then Glenn…Miss Close if you’re nasty, stops her show-stopping song and says to the person taking photos, “That is very invasive…we can either have a show or a photo shoot.” #Scene
#Boom
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| Tony Award winners Christine Ebersole (L) and Patti LuPone (R) |
Via BroadwayWorld:
War Paint, the new Broadway musical about cosmetic doyennes Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, earned four Tony nominations, including for its stars, Christine Ebersole and Patti LuPone.
Today, CBS SUNDAY MORNING’s Richard Schlesinger sat down with the actresses, along with author Lindy Woodhead, in a behind-the-scenes story.
War Paint tells the remarkable story of cosmetics titans Helena Rubinstein (Patti LuPone) and Elizabeth Arden (Christine Ebersole), who defined beauty standards for the first half of the 20th Century.
Brilliant innovators with humble roots, both women were masters of self-invention who sacrificed everything to become the country’s first major female entrepreneurs. They were also fierce competitors, whose 50-year tug-of-war would give birth to an industry that would forever change the face of America.
On the latest The Randy Report podcast, Tony and Grammy Award winner Billy Porter talks about his new album – Billy Porter presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers.
The collection features new, soulful takes on classic Richard Rodgers songs from Broadway musicals including Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, Babes in Arms, South Pacific, and The King and I, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and Lorenz Hart.
Billy is the very picture of a passionate Renaissance man – actor, recording artist, director, playwright and activist.
Broadway credits include Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Moe, Grease, and Smokey Joe’s Cafe. He won the Tony Award, as well as the Grammy, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his groundbreaking performance of “Lola” in Kinky Boots. That was followed by joining the all-star line up for Shuffle Along.
Film and television credits include Barry Levinson’s “The Humbling” opposite Al Pacino, Sundance Film Festival features “The Broken Hearts Club” and “Intern,” “Noel” (with Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams), “Shake Rattle & Roll” as Little Richard, “Another World,” “Twisted,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “The Tonight Show” and more.
In 2014, Primary Stages presented the highly successful World Premiere of While I Yet Live, Porter’s autobiographical play at off Broadway’s Duke Theater.
Hit play below to listen as Billy explains the inspiration for the new album and much, much more 🙂
Billy Porter presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers is available now at all digital download outlets.
I just discovered this clip of brothers David and Shaun Cassidy from the 90s when they were starring (as brothers) in the Broadway production of Blood Brothers with Petula Clark.
As folks know, the song is usually performed by the role of the mother and joined by the full company at the end of Act Two. It’s a big, moving company number that brings down the house.
Interestingly, Shaun and David’s characters are the only folks who don’t sing the song since they are lying dead on the ground at the time.
It makes me wonder why it’s the brothers Cassidy singing here and not Petula. Maybe she didn’t want to get up and sing that early?
In any case, it’s the only time I’ve ever seen the song performed by the two “brother” characters, and I think it’s quite lovely.
Sadly, the world recently found out David is suffering from dementia.
Hello, Dolly! is back on Broadway in a brand new, luscious revival starring the effervescent Bette Midler.
In this episode of The Randy Report podcast, I share some history of the classic Broadway blockbuster including how some songs were once cut, and then, restored to the show.
Who knows the songs “Penny In My Pocket,” “Love, Look In My Window,” and “World Take Me Back?” All were once cut from Dolly – guess which one is back in the new revival?
BONUS >>>Listen in as I share Tony Award winner Leslie Uggams’ performance of one of those “trunk songs,” delivered in spectacular fashion, from when she wore the “red dress” in a major production of Hello, Dolly!
What better to get you over hump day than some great new music?
Check out Tony Award winner (and now record producer) Billy Porter as he chats on his latest project, Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers.
The album drops April 17th.
I’ve known Billy for over 20 years, and this new album is easily the most eagerly awaited music project on my radar.
The album, which features new, soulful takes on classic Richard Rodgers songs, includes solos and duets featuring some of today’s most compelling artists.
The complete track listing for Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers is as follows:
1. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning (Pentatonix & Billy Porter)
2. My Romance (Leslie Odom Jr.)
3. If I Loved You (Renée Elise Goldsberry & Christopher Jackson)
4. With a Song in My Heart (Brandon Victor Dixon & Joshua Henry)
5. I Have Dreamed (Patina Miller)
6. My Funny Valentine (Cynthia Erivo)
7. I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair (Todrick Hall & Billy Porter)
8. This Nearly was Mine (Deborah Cox)
9. Bewitched (Ledisi featuring Zaire Park)
10. Carefully Taught (India.Arie & Billy Porter)
11. Lady is a Tramp (Billy Porter featuring Zaire Park)
12. Edelweiss (Billy Porter)
“I like to think of this as the Richard Rodgers version of the Hamilton Mixtapes,” Porter said. “These are classic songs that everybody knows and loves, and I’m so excited for people to hear them in a brand new way.”
Billy’s solo albums include his first CD, Untitled, on A&M records, At the Corner of Broadway + Soul – LIVE on Sh-K-Boom Records, and Billy’s Back on Broadway, on Concord Records
As regular Randy Report readers know, Billy originated the role of ‘Lola’ in the Broadway hit Kinky Boots, which won him 2013 Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
Other theatre appearances include Shuffle Along, Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Mo, Grease, Smokey Joe’s Cafe all on Broadway; plus Dreamgirls, Angels in America, The Merchant of Venice, Radiant Baby, Birdie Blue, Songs for a New World, Ghetto Superstar (one-man show), Topdog/Underdog, King Lear.
Check out a few tracks from Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers below, including Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo’s luscious take on “My Funny Valentine” and Billy dueting with 4-time Grammy Award winner India.Arie on “Carefully Taught.”
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| Casey Lee Ross (via Instagram) |
TimeOut Magazine shares it’s round up of this season’s sexiest dancers on Broadway, including Casey Lee Ross (above) from the new revival of Miss Saigon.
Hit the link for more Broadway sexiness; and check below for more of Mr. Ross via Instagram.
According to The New York Post, a theater patron fell ill during the first act of the already-blockbuster Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler.
But the theater-goer refused to leave. Check this out 🙂
At the Bette Midler show — which has instantly become Broadway’s hottest ticket, raking in $1.4 million in its first five performances — a source told us, “Around halfway through the first act,” an audience member visiting from LA “started to feel dizzy and made his way to the aisle. But he lost consciousness and collapsed before the end of his row.”
The show was halted, and paramedics were called and took him to the lobby. “When he regained consciousness, they checked his vitals and insisted he should go straight to the hospital,” the source said. The guy refused, exclaiming, “I’d sooner die than miss Act 2!” Producer Scott Rudin even invited him to come see the show again.
I’ve had several friends who have seen the show and raved. The production already has a $40 million advance sale.
Assuming Bette doesn’t do more than a year – and that the show is going to be a smash hit – who could possibly replace with equal star power?
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| Bette Midler as “Dolly Levi” (Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes) |
First look at Bette Midler’s star turn in the upcoming Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!
The new production, set to open at the Shubert Theater April 20, begins previews tomorrow night. Already box office record have been broken in anticipation of the divine Miss M’s debut as the irascible matchmaker.
From BroadwayWorld.com:
The upcoming revival of Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman’s masterpiece Hello, Dolly!, starring legendary performer Bette Midler, has quickly become the hottest ticket of the year. Directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle.
This Hello, Dolly!, the first new production of this classic musical (based on Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker) to appear on Broadway since it opened more than fifty years ago, will pay tribute to the original work of legendary director/ choreographer Gower Champion, which has been hailed both then and now as one of the greatest stagings in musical theater history.
As regular Randy Report readers may know, I made my Broadway debut in the last revival of Dolly! with original Tony Award winning star Carol Channing in 1995. I staged the national tour of the production after we closed on Broadway, and at least 10 times since then. I’m still in love with the show.
Wishing everyone at the Shubert Theater a wondermous run with the show.
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| (image via Facebook) |
Hillary Clinton attended last night’s performance of Sunset Boulevard on Broadway, and upon entering the theater received a long and resounding standing ovation.
See, Donald? When you do something the people appreciate, we applaud.
— franco destro (@fd186) February 16, 2017
Hillary was so kind and warm and she said we brought her joy. Thank you @HillaryClinton!!! Life made. At @sunsetblvd tonight❤️ pic.twitter.com/pGS7hJuV1M— Mackenzie Bell (@kenzbell) February 16, 2017
Hillary Clinton’s Broadway Tour continues: here she is at “Sunset Boulevard” tonight pic.twitter.com/dufjjgDXGp— Michael Scotto (@mikescotto) February 16, 2017
— Logan Culwell-Block (@loganculwell) February 16, 2017